Window construction



Dec. 5, 1967 c. c. MAYHEIW 3,3553%! WINDOW CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 21,1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

B$HARLS C MAYHEW ATTORNEY 1 DEC. 5, c, MAYHEW WINDOW CONSTRUCTION 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21, 1965 Kw 6 J Dec. 5, 1967 c. c. MAYHEWWINDOW CONSTRUCTION 3 SheetS-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 21., 1,965

INVENTOR.

CHAR LE5 C. MAYHEW ATTO BN5! 7 United States Patent 3,355,761 WINDOWCONSTRUCTION Charles C. Mayhew, P.0. Box 184, Griflith, Ind. 46319 FiledOct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 499,882 7 Claims. (Cl. -250.1)

The present invention relates to a window structure, and moreparticularly to a window construction having embodied therein a windowpane cleaning mechanism.

The conventional window having sliding frames for the panes is oftenenclosed by screens or storm windows which must be removed in order toclean the outside surface of the panes. This is often not only difiicultbut dangerous, and consequently, the cleaning operation is not performedas frequently as required nor sufficiently thoroughly to remove all ofthe firmly adhering film on the outside surface. This difficulty isgreatly increased in multiple story office and apartment buildingshaving sliding windows which can only be completely cleaned by thewindow washer standing on the outside window sill or on a ladder orscaffold, thus increasing the hazord and inconvenience to the washer.The foregoing difliculties and dangers are present in washing windowshaving either dual sliding, overlapping sashes or single sashes slidinginto a pocket in the wall, either above or at one side of the sash. Itis therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention toprovide a window construction of either the single or multiple slidingsash type in which a mechanism is included for automatically cleaningboth side of one pane when the respective sash is merely opened andclosed, and which can be thoroughly cleaned without removing or shiftingany screen or storm window installed on the outer side of the window.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a window cleaningapparatus which can be installed on most slide sash type windows, andwhich, in scrubbing the window pane, executes a'rotary or circularmotion on the pane surface similar to the effective motion performed bythe manual cleaning operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of theaforesaid type which can be shifted between the panes of multiple sashwindows to clean both sides of each sash, and which is fully concealedin the window frame or other enclosures where it may be permanentlyinstalled in each window and where it performs its complete cleaningoperation each time the window sash is fully opened and closed, whetherfor the purpose of cleaning the window or otherwise.

A further object is to provide a relatively simple, easily operatedapparatus for cleaning sliding sash windows, which positively scrubs thesurfaces of the window panes when the sashes are opened and closed, andwhich can be adapted either to the permanently installed construction orto a portable type, which can readily and conveniently be moved from onewindow to another.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a double window construction havingthe present window cleaning apparatus incorporated therein;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the window construction shown in FIGURE1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross sectional view through the windowconstruction shown in the preceding figures, the section being taken online 3-3 of FIGURE 1, and showing an enlarged view of the present windowcleaning apparatus;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of the window constructionshown in the preceding figures, the

section being taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, and showing an elevationalView of the present window cleaning apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the present windowconstruction, the section being taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of the window constructionsimilar to that shown in FIGURE 3, but showing a modification thereof;and

FIGURE 7 is a vertical cross sectional view through the windowconstruction shown in FIGURE 6, the section being taken on line 7-7 andshowing the window cleaning apparatus in elevation.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, numeral 10 designatesgenerally the present window construction embodying the presentinvention, the construction shown consisting of two side-by-side sashesl2 and 14 having panes l6 and 18, respectively, and being mounted in aframe 20 having a sill 22 and header 24 extending the full length of thewindow, and two side frame members 26 and 28, and intermediate framemember 3!). The sill 22 and header 24 are provided with longitudinalgrooves for receiving sashes l2 and 14 which are adapted to movelaterally in the frame from the position shown in the drawings into theopposite window space, i.e., sash 12 as shown in the drawings beingmoved completely through the intermediate member 3% to the position ofsash I4, and sash 14 being likewise moved to the position shown for sash12. The particular construction or type of window employed is notimportant with respect to the present invention so long as the sashes orpanes are slidable in the window structure. The present invention isequally applicable to the other types of windows, particularly the typehaving multiple sashes slidable vertically in the frame. The windowstructure shown in FIG- URE 1 may have screens or storm windows 32 and34 on the external side of the windows. Further, the present inventioncan be used in conjunction with a single sash or pane slidable into apocket in the wall beside, above or below the window opening, as willbecome readily apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, the window cleaning apparatus 40 is mounted in andenclosed by the housing of intermediate member 30, and consists of apair of arms 42 and 44 having a plurality of scrubbers 46 secured to theinner side of each arm. The scrubbers 46 are shown consisting of brushesor other bristle-like construction; however, they may be of any suitableeffective cleaning construction. The two arms are parallel to thesurface of the window and are moved in a rotary action to create ascrubbing action on the surface of the pane of glass by operatingmechanism 50 at the top of the sash and mechanism 52 at the bottom ofthe sash.

Operating mechanism 50 consists of a rack 54 secured to the upper edgeof pane 16 by downwardly extending flanges 56 and 58 and contains gearteeth 60 extending throughout substantially the full length of the rackand pane. A pinion 62 rigidly supported by bracket 64 contains teethmeshing With the teeth on rack 54 and is rotated by movement of the sashin either direction through intermediate member 30. The pinion issupported by a shaft 66 which is journ-alled in arms 68 and 70 ofbracket 64 and rotates with pinion 62. Arms 72 and 74 are secured to theouter ends of shaft 66 and revolve with shaft 66, and the outer ends ofarms 72 and 74 are connected to the upper ends of arms 42 and 44,respectively, and move the arms and scrubbers 46 upwardly, downwardlyand sidewise to produce a rotary or circular motion of the scrubbers onthe surface of the pane of glass, the two arms being pivoted on bolts 76and 78, respectively, in arms 72 and 74. Bracket 64 is mounted rigidlyon boss 80, which in turn is secured to the upper end 82 of member 30.

Gperating mechanism 52 consists of a bracket 90 having arms 92 and 94and supporting pinions 96 and 98 on pins 106 and 102, respectively. Arack 104 is secured to the lower edges of the pane 16 by flanges 106 and108 and contains teeth 110 which mesh with the gears on pinion 98 andcause the pinion to rotate as the window is moved from right to left, asviewed in FIGURE 1. In order to have the ends of the arms 42 and 44 movein the same direction, the lower ends of the two arms are driven bypinion 96 through arms 112 and 114, respectively, the two arms beingrigidly secured to shaft 190, which in turn is rigidly secured to pinion96 and rotates in bearings in arms 92 and 94 of bracket 90. The arms 42and 44 are rotatably secured to arms 112 and 114, respectively, by bolts116 and 118, thus providing an effective positive drive connection fromrack 104 through pinions 98 and 96, shaft 100 and arms 112 and 114 toarms 42 and 44 at the lower ends of the arms and completing the desiredcircular motion of the scrubbers 46.

It is seen from the foregoing description that when pane 16 is moved tothe right, as viewed in FIGURE 1, the racks 54 and 104 rotate pinion 62,and through pinion 98, rotate pinion 96, which in turn causes arms 72and 74 at the top and arms 112 and 114 at the bottom to revolve, therebymoving arms 42 and 44 and the respective brushes 46 in a circular motionon the surface of the pane. As this operation is performed, a cleaningsolution may be added to the surface of the glass if desired, althoughsince the glass is cleaned frequently by the mechanism as the window isopened and closed, it often is not necessary to have the assistance of acleaning material.

In the embodiment just described, one mechanism is required for each ofthe two Windows; however, the mechanism may be disassembled from member30 and moved to another window having provisions for receiving themechanism, so that one mechanism may be used to clean a multiplicity ofwindows. A permanently installed mechanism of modified form for cleaningwindows is illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, in which like parts are givenlike numbers, and in which the mechanism is similar in most respects tothe one previously described herein, and consequently, will not bedescribed in detail. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7,brackets 64 and 90 are mounted on tracks 120 and 122, respectively, andkeyed thereto by tongue and groove 124 and 126 for longitudinal slidingmovement thereon. With this arrangement, the cleaning mechanism may beshifted from one slidable pane, indicated by numeral 16, to the otherslidable pane, indicated by numeral 18, thus permitting the samemechanism to clean either window pane by merely shifting the mechanismoutwardly and inwardly to the position in alignment with the plane to becleaned when both panes are closed. The movement of the pane causes theracks 54 and 104 to engage the respective pinions and rotate the arms inthe manner described to clean the panes, both internally and externallyat the same time.

While only two embodiments of the present window cleaning apparatus havebeen described in detail herein, various changes and modification may bemade without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A mechanism for cleaning windows of the type having one or moresliding panes mounted in a frame, said mechanism comprising rackssecured to opposite edges of the pane, a pinion engaging each of saidracks to be rotated as said pane is slid from one position to another, asecond pinion engaging one of said first mentioned pinions, a shaftconnected to said other first mentioned pinion, a shaft connected tosaid second mentioned pinion, brackets supporting said pinions in fixedposition in the frame, arms connected to one end of each of said shaftson the same side of said pane for revolving in the same direction, amember interconnecting the outer ends of said arms, and scrubbing meansmounted on said member and adapted to engage the surface of the pane forcircular movement thereon when the pane is slid in the frame.

2. The mechanism defined in claim 1, wherein there are arms connected tothe opposite ends of each of said shafts, a member interconnecting theouter ends of said arms, and scrubbing means mounted on said member aremounted on the opposite side of said pane, whereby both sides of thepane are cleaned simultaneously.

3. The mechanism of claim 2, in which the brackets are slidabletransverse to said racks.

4. The mechanism defined in claim 1, wherein said racks and pinionscontain teeth for engaging the respective pinions and racks for positivedrive therebetween.

5. The mechanism of claim 1, in which said brackets are slidable in thedirection transverse to said racks.

6. The mechanism defined in claim 1, in which the scrubbing meansconsists of a plurality of members mounted longitudinally on saidinterconnecting member.

7. The mechanism according to claim 6, in which the scrubbing meansconsists of a plurality of bristle-like brushes for engaging the surfaceof the glass.

No references cited.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

1. A MECHANISM FOR CLEANING WINDOWS OF THE TYPE HAVING ONE OR MORESLIDING PANES MOUNTED IN A FRAME, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING RACKSSECURED TO OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE PANE, A PINION ENGAGING EACH OF SAIDRACKS TO BE ROTATED AS SAID PANE IS SLID FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER, ASECOND PINION ENGAGING ONE OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED PINIONS, A SHAFTCONNECTED TO SAID OTHER FIRST MENTIONED PINION, A SHAFT CONNECTED TOSAID SECOND MENTIONED PINION, BRACKETS SUPPORTING SAID PINIONS IN FIXEDPOSITION IN THE FRAME, ARMS CONNECTED TO ONE END OF EACH OF SAID SHAFTSON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID PANE FOR REVOLVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, AMEMBER INTERCONNECTING THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID ARMS, AND SCRUBBING MEANSMOUNTED ON SAID MEMBER